WestJet Group on May 1 announced the completion of its acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines.
The deal, first announced in March 2022, will "combine the two Canadian aviation and leisure travel success stories and will bring greater choice, competitive airfares and increased direct access to sun destinations to Canadian travellers", WestJet said in a May 1 statement.
"In addition, it positions Sunwing to continue its growth across Canada and permits the newly merged company to protect jobs", the new parent company added, saying that the Sunwing will operate independently for an initial period.
"As the two entities transition from competitors to collaborators, the combination of these businesses will be planned in a way that positions Sunwing as an instrumental pillar of the WestJet Group, and prioritises the experience of a growing number of guests", WestJet said in its statement.
"As we have set out on our new strategic trajectory for the WestJet Group, investing further in leisure and sun flying across Canada is a critical driver for growth," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, chief executive.
"It brings me great pleasure to welcome Sunwing to the group, adding 18 Boeing 737s, 2,000 employees and Canada's largest vacation tour operator and significantly expanding our footprint in Eastern Canada," von Hoensbroech added.
"The combination of our complementary businesses marks an important milestone that will enable us to fast-track our growth plans and provide Canadians with more affordable vacations to more destinations than ever before," said Stephen Hunter, the new chief executive of the WestJet Group's Vacations Business and the former Sunwing chief.
"We are excited to welcome Sunwing's employees to the WestJet Group of Companies; throughout the planning of this transaction, we have been continually impressed by their expertise and experience in the vacations industry," said von Hoensbroech.